The Avista Foundation
The Avista Foundation is a private foundation based in Spokane, Washington, and a community investment program of Avista Corp. It funds nonprofit organizations addressing needs in communities served by Avista Utilities and Alaska Electric Light and Power Co.
The Avista Foundation at a glance
In short: The Avista Foundation gave $2.2M across 577 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in Washington. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,243,054
- +9.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 577
- -4.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,887
- +15.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $10,558,908
- -10.9% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Washington (83% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026.
How to apply to The Avista Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The required application is online. Organizations must be tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3), provide their determination letter, address a foundation focus area, and benefit communities and citizens in the foundation’s service area. The foundation’s stated limitations exclude requests from organizations outside the Avista Utilities service area; individuals; team or extracurricular school events; fundraising events; trips or tours; religious, veterans, or fraternal organizations; organizations that discriminate; organizations without 501(c)(3) status; national health organizations and their local affiliates or research and disease-advocacy groups; and memorial campaigns. The filing states that the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
- Review Cycle
- Various.
- Deadline
- Various.
- Contact
Application contact: Kristine Meyer
Mailing address: PO Box 3727, Spokane, WA 99220-3727
Phone: (509) 495-8156
Website: https://avistafoundation.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
5 open opportunities from The Avista Foundation
Arts and Culture Proposals Grant
The Avista Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Avista Foundation Sponsorships
The Avista Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Economic and Community Vitality Proposals Grant
The Avista Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who The Avista Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Eastern Washington University Foundation ($350K). Together the top 10 received $937K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($3,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
2,631 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 2,606 grants of 2,631 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation serves communities and citizens served by Avista Utilities in eastern Washington, northern Idaho, portions of southern Oregon, and Sanders County, Montana. It also serves communities and citizens served by Alaska Electric Light and Power Co. in the City and Borough of Juneau. In 2025, 83% of grant dollars went to Washington recipients, 10% to Idaho, 4% to Alaska, 3% to Oregon, and less than 1% to Montana.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 577 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How The Avista Foundation gives
- 49% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 73% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 586% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.3M (2022) to $2.5M (2020). In 2025 it made 577 grants totaling $2.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern Washington University Foundation Cheney, WA | Catalyst Building | $350,000 |
| Upper Columbia Resource Conservation and Development District Spokane Valley, WA | cooling island at Scale House Market | $60,000 |
| Gonzaga University Spokane, WA | IIAT Units Energy Meter for Generative AI Usage Project | $55,000 |
| Spokane Symphony Spokane, WA | General Operating Support | $55,000 |
| Pullman Regional Hospital Foundation Pullman, WA | Behavioral Health Patient Space in the ER | $50,000 |
| Spokane Area Business Foundation Spokane, WA | Support the Safe & Healthy Spokane Taskforce | $50,000 |
| Spokane Area Business Foundation Spokane, WA | Support the Safe & Healthy Spokane Taskforce | $50,000 |
| Inland Northwest Land Conservancy Spokane, WA | Glen Tana | $41,666 |
| Friends of KSPS Spokane, WA | Community Impact Pillars Sponsor | $40,000 |
| United Human Services of AK Juneau, AK | Teal Street Center | $31,250 |
Ready to take the next step with The Avista Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $10,558,908 | $1,389,811 | $2,288,068 | $2,243,054 | 577 | $2,243,054 | $1,344,797 | $382,849 |
| 2024 | $11,853,755 | $1,223,797 | $2,078,443 | $2,045,737 | 607 | $2,045,737 | $1,191,091 | $446,078 |
| 2023 | $12,636,988 | $4,078,929 | $2,441,563 | $2,423,956 | 633 | $2,423,956 | $1,061,314 | — |
| 2022 | $10,445,318 | $508,679 | $1,315,444 | $1,298,669 | 443 | $1,298,669 | $491,904 | — |
| 2021 | $14,657,014 | $1,688,405 | $2,121,128 | $2,106,079 | 371 | $2,106,079 | $413,590 | $733,830 |
| 2020 | $15,089,738 | $1,676,160 | $2,535,292 | $2,525,128 | 1 | — | $301,967 | $742,657 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Avista Foundation reported a distributable amount of $383K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s focus areas include K–12 education, particularly science, math, and technology, as well as higher education and scholarships. It also supports basic-needs safety-net services and initiatives addressing poverty, and projects that contribute to community identity, quality of life, civic and social infrastructure, and economic growth.
The foundation supports nonprofit organizations and requires organizations seeking consideration to be IRS tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3). Its 2025 grants illustrate support for a range of organizations and projects. For example, the Eastern Washington University Foundation received funding for the Catalyst Building; Spokane Symphony received general operating support; and Pullman Regional Hospital Foundation received funding for a behavioral-health patient space in the emergency room. The Spokane Area Business Foundation, whose stated purpose is to advance quality of life in the greater Spokane region through work including education, civic leadership, cultural diversity, and community research, received support for the Safe & Healthy Spokane Taskforce.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 577 grants totaling $2,243,054. Grant amounts ranged from $20 to $350,000, with a median grant of $1,000. Recent annual totals were:
The largest listed 2025 award was $350,000 to Eastern Washington University Foundation for the Catalyst Building. Other notable awards included $60,000 to Upper Columbia Resource Conservation and Development District for a cooling island at Scale House Market; $55,000 each to Gonzaga University for an energy-meter project and Spokane Symphony for general operating support; and $50,000 to Pullman Regional Hospital Foundation for a behavioral-health patient space in the ER. The foundation also awarded $41,666 to Inland Northwest Land Conservancy for Glen Tana and $40,000 to Friends of KSPS for a Community Impact Pillars sponsorship.
The foundation’s website lists active proposal cycles for education and youth development, economic and community vitality, and arts and culture. The 2025 filing says applications are submitted online; the website also identifies an application process and lists varied deadlines.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Officers and directors listed on the 2025 filing are Latisha Hill, President; Tracy Van Orden, Treasurer; Kristine Meyer, Executive Director; and directors Alec Mesdag, David J Meyer, Steve Vincent, Kevin Christie, Chris Schlothauer, and Heather Rosentrater.
The Avista Foundation is led by Latisha Hill, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 9 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Latisha Hill
President
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kristine Meyer
Executive Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chris Schlothauer
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David J Meyer
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kevin Christie
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Steve Vincent
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alec Mesdag
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Heather Rosentrater
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tracy Van Orden
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Dennis Vermillion (2020–2024) — Vice President
- Former: Connie Hulbert (2022) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about The Avista Foundation
How much does The Avista Foundation give each year?
The Avista Foundation gave $2.2M across 577 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $2.0M across 607 grants.
What is The Avista Foundation's typical grant size?
The Avista Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $3,887, across 577 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Avista Foundation give grants?
The Avista Foundation gives mostly in Washington: 83% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Idaho (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Spokane, WA (252 grants), Spokane Valley, WA (25 grants), Coeur d'Alene, ID (25 grants) and Pullman, WA (19 grants).
Does The Avista Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 14% of The Avista Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (83 of 577) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Matching Gifts" (115 grants), "Annual Food Pantry Donation" (53 grants) and "Dollars for Doers" (37 grants).
Who are The Avista Foundation's largest grantees?
The Avista Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Eastern Washington University Foundation ($350,000), Gonzaga University ($122,500 across 5 grants) and Spokane Area Business Foundation ($101,500 across 3 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($3,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 26% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Avista Foundation?
The Avista Foundation reported $10.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $383K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Avista Foundation fund?
The foundation’s focus areas include K–12 education, particularly science, math, and technology, as well as higher education and scholarships. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Avista Foundation?
The required application is online. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Avista Foundation's EIN?
The Avista Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 75-3003371. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 27, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 6, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 15, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Avista Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Avista Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-avista-foundation-morg_5415a53d15594eda9697afb6826eeaff
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_753003371_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Avista Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-avista-foundation-morg_5415a53d15594eda9697afb6826eeaff},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from The Avista Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
The Avista Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?